The Gavilan College Communications Studies Program has won the 2013 Model Communication Program Award from the Western States Communication Association.
The communication studies department picked up the award – which is given to the program that best meets the association’s criteria in teaching, service, research and use of resources – Monday at the association’s convention in Reno, NV.
The award is partly a recognition of the reputation that Gavilan College has gained by expanding and strengthening its communications department. In the span of 10 years, the program has added eight courses, one full-time faculty member and more than six adjunct faculty. Along with this, communication studies became the first department on campus to offer the AA-T degree that provides Gavilan’s students a guaranteed transfer into a four-year university.
However, rigorous academics are also part of the picture. The communications program at Gavilan College is an integral part in the fabric of the community. Through Public Service Announcements and initiatives such as Service Learning Projects, the department has raised more than $60,000 for local nonprofit groups and agencies.
Groups that have benefited from the department include the Heritage Home, Wildlife Refuge Center in Morgan Hill, a battered women’s shelter – where the students built a bike rack for the children living there – and a group of women who were creating and sending care packages to troops overseas.
At a special morning session prior to the award luncheon, Gavilan College representatives gave a presentation that showcased the program.
